woman! of you that made all other losses seem small in comparison. Your beauty of face and form was but a fraction of your charms. Did I not remember your soft looks and graceful gestures, the music of your voice, and were not your words and acts in harmony with all that I thought excellent in Reflection showed me which was my intolerable sorrow. I could face all else, but I could not bear to be shut out from the light of your countenance. If, instead of being well endowed with worldly means, you had been poor and friendless, your sweet self, without a grain of "siller," would be to me the richest prize in the world. But this mourning was sad folly. I had to call all my philosophy to my aid, and to school myself to leading a rude unsweetened life. There had been a short glimpse of brightness; now it was in the dark shadow that my paths were ordered. Quarda,-I was thankful enough, be it said, to have it to fall back on, but it was a dismal home. There was a little to do as laird, there was a little sporting, and there was a very little society. The paucity of neighbours was to a disappointed man not disagreeable, though solitude probably tended to prolong my care. And fortunately, Quarda, ill found as in many things it may have been, was not without books to solace a recluse. The lucky accident by which the place contained a library-or rather a well-furnished snug study -was known to me. For, oddly enough, an ancester of mine had come here a fugitive just as I had done, and had taken to bookssome of them rather strange ones, as I soon found. There was, however, this difference between his flight from the world and mine; his disaster was political, while I was a broken man of pleasure. He had cast in his lot with the unhappy Stuarts, and had saved little beyond his life from out the wreck of their cause in Scotland. If all be true that I have heard about him and although Prince Charlie's campaign was not long ago, I am but imperfectly informed concerning my grandfather, so carefully did he efface himself he would have died on the scaffold if he had been discovered; and to avoid that fate, he allowed a title and a large property to pass to a distant relation, he being accounted dead. He became reconciled after a time to his lot, and, as a student, found such repose as had been denied him in the busy world. Country people were then-are now, indeed prone to ascribe to any man who follows after learning, studies which are unlawful as well as honest researches; and my forerunner assuredly did not escape calumny of this kind. The stories about him are dying out at last; but there are old shepherds and hinds living yet, who say he could raise the devil and do feats of magic. They even declare that he did not die and return to earth as another man, but had some strange disappearance accompanied with all sorts of prodigies. They evidently had a great love of the marvellous. I wondered whether, if my miserable, worthless life should be prolonged for a season, I also should leave behind me an uncanny reputation, for I was already taking to letters. The last thing that I should have credited myself with was an academical turn; but as I found books to physic my pain better than any other resource, I presume that literary labour must have been that which I delighted in. I spent more and more time in the study. some method of opening it, I turned it and pressed it in many ways without for a long time finding a joint. At last, as I made some movement, there issued from it a sharp click such as one hears in clockwork, and a smell, like that which had saluted me when I opened the cabinet, was again perceptible. At the same time I felt a shudder pass through me, and thought my life had stopped, so depressing was the sensation. Presently, to convince myself that I lived, I made a movement towards rising from my seat, and on lifting my head discovered, to my astonishment, that I was not alone! I declare that, standing about four yards from me, there was a man, habited as I was, and, as far as I could judge, the counterpart of myself. "My wraith," I thought; "I am going to die, and no man ever met his fate with less regret." I knew somehow that the figure was not of flesh and blood. I was not frightened: I rather studied the apparition, which, however, after holding my regard fixed on it for I really cannot say how long, was suddenly gone. Not many weeks had passed since I collected my wits immediately. I threw up the window, inhaled some cold air, felt my pulse—which galloped and decided that my system was alarmingly deranged. The surprise should have been, perhaps, that I had not broken down in body before, after suffering so much in mind and spirits. Confinement would not do for me, it was clear. I was becoming subject to hallucinations, and I was sage enough to know that moderate exercise in the open air was indispensable, and might, perhaps, suffice to restore me without medicine. So I returned my puzzlebox to the cabinet, put the interior into the order in which I had found it, and locked the place up, resolving that the reading life to which I had lately taken must be given up. Then I took to outdoor doings again, and soon became pretty sound. Sleep and appetite had a little ago much fallen off, and, as I argued, by taking the disorder in time I probably crushed it. As for the fetch, or wraith, which I had seen, I cared little about its meaning, and would not let my thoughts dwell upon it at all. As I felt steady and strong again, I however, did think with some astonishment that my ancestor must have had queer fancies. My father, after he grew up, had never seen Quarda; and so it was that, until I came back a stricken deer, things remained in his study much as my grandsire left them. After a few days away from the desk, I laughed at my last visitation, looked upon it as an interesting study in physiology, and made two or three notes by way of record. The effects so far passed away that I determined one evening, after a long ramble out of doors, to have another look at that seven-sided box, and try to find what was inside it. I got it out, and went to work upon it much as I had done on the former occasion. I did not open it; but I, after some handling, produced the click, and smelled the odour which I have described before. I was painfully conscious, too, of the cold shiver and the feeling of horror. "There is only one plague more," I thought, "and that is the apparition." I lifted my eyes, and there it stood ! "This is too bad," I muttered. "I have not been shutting myself up now. I will stop this weak whom I desired to bring down to the room below a book which he would find on my desk. I had hardly waited for him two seconds when he entered, bringing the book indeed, but his face blanched with terror and his whole frame trembling with affright. "God save us!" he faltered; "which is the master? Are ye abune, sir, or are ye here?" It was not, then, my physical condition that was at fault. Other eyes had seen the spectre as well as mine. I soothed the man as well as I could, trying to make light of his fears; but I was very uncomfortable myself. I was not, however, terrified; and after a short reflection I resolved to go to the study and face the intruder. I did so. Nothing was to be seen there but the usual furniture of the room. That night I took earnest counsel with myself: all things considered, I did so dispassionately. The conclusion I came to was1st, That an apparition haunted the study; 2d, That it was in some way connected with the wooden apparatus on which the crystal was fixed; 3d, That it was the copy of myself; 4th, That it must indicate the coming of some accident to me; 5th, That when it might show itself again I ought to speak to it, and demand its business. I did not fear death; and I made up my mind that, if boldness would do it, I would make better acquaintance with this mystery. I would tase steps on the morrow. The morrow, however, provided business of its own. My servants all declared that they must quit Quarda forthwith, and I was really in sore embarrassment, which was only got over with great difficulty. Fortunately only one servant had seen anything. The others took their fright at second hand from him. If he would stay, and moderate his alarm, the others probably would also be soothed. With much persuasion, and a bribe which I could ill afford, I at last prevailed upon the terrified fellow to remain. This difficulty having been arranged, I nerved myself for an encounter with my other self. Having taken every precaution against intrusion, I proceeded as I had done on the two former occasions, handling and pressing the crystal-crowned heptagon until I produced the clicking noise. Then, spite of the odour and the shudder which ensued, I contrived to keep my eyes raised, and presently saw, come from I know not where, the startling figure at a short distance from me. We looked at each other-I and I sternly for a moment. Then I, steadily I think, said, "Who are you? and what do you here?" "You see who I am," answered the appearance. "I am here because I was summoned. You are the lineal heir of Angus Cameron, as he was latterly called. Therefore I will assist you and your heirs. What do you require ?" The voice was so exactly my voice, that the answer seemed but a continuation of the question. I did not, however, expend time in considering this or anything else except the matter in hand. By a sort of inspiration I saw clearly that here was an offer of aid, and that my first course should be to secure that, leaving explanations and antecedents for the present. I spoke again briefly. 66 My property is gone; but the lady whom I covet more than wealth is, I believe, unmarried. I am very miserable and reckless. Can you aid me as to the troubles which I have named?" "Do not give up your secur ities. Go back to Edinburgh and resume your courtship." "Alas!" I answered, "I wrote by the last boat from Lerwick desiring that all my stock, now almost valueless, should be disposed of." "Do as I have said," repeated my double; and immediately after he had spoken I ceased to see him. If I had been asked beforehand how I would conduct myself during such an interview as I have recounted, I should have said that I would be horror-stricken, that I should loose my head, and that I should certainly speak and act in a manner which my subsequent calm judgment would pronounce to be weak and little to the purpose. As it really happened, I felt collected, and I am sure that I held to the main requirements of my case as shrewdly as if I had had time given me for consideration. When the interview was over, I thought earnestly how I should act. This might be a delusion to lead me to my end, or into other mischief-about that I really did not care. Here was presented a chance-a chance unintelligible to me-cf in some way bettering my condition. Any prudent, sedate man would simply laugh at the whole fancy-say that I had been mad or dreaming, and condemn the advice I had received as inviting to a wild-goose chase. I could not prove the contrary of this; but I felt that it would be worth my while to comply with the directions I had received. After twenty-four hours' deliberation I decided that, happen what might, I would undertake the adventure. Money was, no doubt, scarce with me: but there were the scanty means with which I had come to establish myself in my forlorn retreat; my city wardrobe still remained to me; it was but the voyage to Leith; if it should prove to be a mere deceit, I could only return; the secret of the matter was my own. The announcement that I was about to return to Edinburgh raised the greatest surprise and excitement in the little circle about me. I had caused it to be understood, if I had not positively declared, that I had come to Quarda for a very long sojourn; so this sudden change of plans was difficult to account for. There had been no arrival of letters for many days, so that I could not pretend a sudden summons from friends in the capital. I said that I had by the last packet desired to make some business arrangements with which I had, on further consideration, seen reason to be dissatisfied. I was going to consult as to further dispositions on the spot. But this did by no means satisfy my household and neighbours. They divined some unknown trouble; and my manservant implored me with tears not to sail the seas. He had seen my wrath, he said, and he would never see me again if I tempted the waters. Maggie, my elderly cook and general manager, declared that, ill-fated as my going was, I should yet be supplied with one great chance of keeping alive; and modified her chagrin at my departure by busying herself in the preparation of her wonderful cordial-a remedy with which I was not unfamiliar against sea-sickness and many another ill to which flesh is heir. Spite of remarks and dissuasions, I left in a small craft for Lerwick, arrived there safely, and took passage in the very first smack that sailed for Leith. The voyage was untroubled, and I duly landed and proceeded to mine inn in the city. My first visit was, as may be supposed, to the business people in the capital to whom I had intrusted the disposal of my property. I expected to find that the little remnant, which had been invested in bonds that were greatly depreciated on account of the long war, had been disposed of at a heavy loss, and it was with a sinking heart that I met my agent. To my surprise, however, he knew nothing of the instructions that I had transmitted, and he had taken no recent step in regard to my affairs. This was perplexing, but, on the whole, a relief. I desired, that my letter, when it should arrive, might not be acted on, as I had thought of another arrangement which I could personally communicate if it should be worthy of adoption. After this I made inquiries in a quarter on which I could rely concerning the subject which lay next my heart, and ascertained that the Macleod family was still in the capital, and that my beloved Aline remained single, though Captain Menzies was understood to be still advancing his pretensions. I knew now how the land lay, and saw that, at any rate, the way was open to the adoption of the course which my strange visitor had recommended. But of what value was that? The circumstances which had forced me into retirement remained exactly as they had been. I no more saw my way to a happy issue from them, than I did when I took the resolution to bury myself in my desolate patrimony. Once more I had returned to the busy haunts of men; but for what end? what was I to do? I confess that I began to feel something like a precipitate simpleton, and to think that the sooner I was away again the better. Thoughts |